Holiday Depression
Christmas Depression
Depression at Christmas
Coping with Holiday Stress
Holiday depression can affect anyone. Difficulty in coping with holiday stress is only one of the causes of Christmas depression, and if you have several of the depression symptoms listed below, it could be more serious. Sometimes it seems that everyone around you is happy—but you. And Christmas is the happiest time of the year, isn’t it?
Well, for some people, Christmas and the holidays can be very sad…even depressing. And people who feel depressed can feel guilty about feeling unhappy around Christmas—which is even more depressing!
We think of Christmas as a happy time.
But for some of us, Christmas depression takes over...
When You Don’t Feel Happy
Signs of Christmas Depression
For some of us, no matter how hard we try, we feel sad at Christmas time. In fact, the harder you try to look happy, the worse you feel. Christmas depression is far more common than you probably think. If you notice any of these things, you might be suffering from depression during the Christmas holidays: Family issues come to a head – Sometimes it seems that you can ignore the same old family issues during the year. But, at Christmas, your family probably gets together, and the family games begin. People misbehave and hurt each other emotionally—just as they have done for years. Wishing that it will be different this year—doesn’t work! Tip - Be realistic about your expectations… - Time pressure - Most of us over-commit our time at Christmas, or we overestimate what we can actually get done. At some point the time crunch becomes apparent—and many of us end up in tears!
Tip - Learn to say “no” if you will be pressed for time. - Memories of Christmases past - At Christmas (and other holidays) we remember those who are no longer with us. We remember the good times and the bad. We remember events around the holidays and relationships of former years. Those memories can make us sad.
Tip - Talk about your feelings and share the memories with someone that you trust… - Financial worries - Of course you want the people you love to have a wonderful Christmas. And, for many, that means buying things. Unfortunately many of us charge items that we can’t pay for right now. If you or your spouse has lost a job recently, you have a lot less money to spend. If you spend more than you have, getting into debt over Christmas gifts, you will probably find yourself worrying over how you will pay the upcoming bills.
Tip - Make a budget and stick to it… - Kids who demand more than you can give - When your children see others getting big, expensive gifts, they may ask for the same. If you simply can’t do it, this can lead to guilt, frustration and eventually, depression.
- Comparing yourself to others - Everyone else seems happy (even if they aren’t). If you don’t FEEL happy, you feel guilty about that and you wonder why you aren’t like everyone else. Things aren’t always what they seem.
Tip - Learn to be realistic about yourself and others… - Feeling Lonely - If you will be spending the holiday alone, you may feel depressed. You would be surprised at how many people are alone during holidays.
Tip - The best way to combat this situation is to arrange to spend the holiday with another person who will be alone…
Christmas can be lonely and depressing.
This mp3 download can help you with your mood.
Beyond Holiday Depression
How to Recognize Serious Depression
While most depression during the holidays is short-lived and you will recover quickly when things get back to normal, there is always the chance that your holiday depression or sadness is more serious.Keep in mind that, the more severe the symptoms, the longer they last and the more frequent they occur, the greater the possibility that you are suffering from serious depression that should be treated. People are all different, of course, but here are some common symptoms of depression: - Sad or anxious feelings that don’t go away
- Feeling hopeless or feeling pessimistic
Feeling guilty Feeling that you are worthless, not important, or helpless Feeling irritable or restless (typical of men who are depressed) Losing interest in things that you like to do, including sex Feeling tired, without energy Difficulty concentrating and making decisions - Insomnia or sleeplessness – waking early in the morning or sleeping too late
- Eating too much or not being hungry at all
- Aches and pains, headaches, cramps or digestive problems
- Thoughts of hurting yourself or of suicide, especially if you have a plan
If you have several of these depression symptoms and they don’t go away, it’s time to see your doctor. Especially if you are considering suicide. On the other hand, most holiday depression is short lived and will go away soon after the holidays are over. The important thing to remember is that, some Christmas depression can be avoided by taking the simple steps discussed above. In addition, you can use a self-hypnosis mp3 download like Stressful Christmas
to get yourself relaxed and in the right mood, before those family get-togethers. If holiday depression lingers for you, though, you need to consider getting some professional help.
You might also like:
Holiday Depression to Signs of Depression
Holiday Depression to Easy Stress Management
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